I remember being excited about getting my first smart phone.  I’d be able to play Sudoku!  When I got my second smart phone, it was the ability to play Trivia Crack that excited me.  Of course, I quickly loaded Facebook and Messenger on it and soon I didn’t have to worry about being bored for a second.  A game or social media would rescue me and distract me.

But are we using our phones or are they using us?

Let me put on my grandpa pants for a moment.  Games are time wasters.  Social Media is click baiting.  And they’re both designed to steal your most valuable resource: Time!

Instead of using the phone as a toy, we should be using it as a tool.

Last year, I removed Facebook and Messenger from my phone.  I can still check them on my computer but I try to minimize my use of them.

A few weeks ago, I got rid of all my game apps on my phone.  Yes, even Sudoku.  It was hard to do.  I deliberated about it for a couple of weeks.  But it has been great.

I replaced them with Kindle and read some books I had bought but hadn’t read yet.  I also downloaded Hoopla so that I can listen to audio books or read some eBooks that I don’t want to purchase.

The idea for this blog post came to me while I was walking the dog, so I turned on the built-in recorder app on my phone and made a note of the idea.  I don’t have to carry around a bulky note book if I don’t want to.

My smart phone is now being used smartly.  It’s a book, audiobook, recorder, camera, and encyclopaedia!  All in my pocket.  For years I was using it as a toy, but now I’m committed to making it a tool that can help me grow.

© 2019 Peter Gruner